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Nova Scotia Archives

Guest blogger Michelle Boychuk spent the past several months gathering stories and images from community archives across Nova Scotia. The result of this ambitious effort is the Community Albums Project, spearheaded by the Council of Nova Scotia Archives, which Michelle discusses below

Are you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next batch of Vital Statistic records to be released? A seasoned researcher will know that we release a new batch of these records every year. Have you ever wondered why they are staggered like this, or why they aren’t released until June? The short answer: it’s a huge amount of work. Darlene has the longer answer, below.

May is Gaelic Nova Scotia Month in Nova Scotia, which offers an excellent opportunity to explore this rich and lively aspect of our provincial culture. Perhaps you are interested in finally digging into your family’s Gaelic roots, you’ve been assigned a class project, or you’re simply interested in learning more about this piece of our collective history: Nova Scotia Archives is here to help!

When we sat down with recently-retired Provincial Archivist Lois Yorke, we were hoping for insight into the history of our beloved institution and into Lois’s long career. We got that and more! Lois is well-known and respected in the archives world and it is a treat (for this archives-nerd) to hear her reflections on our Archives, the profession, and her plans for retirement.

I remember, as a child, walking down Tidal Bore Road, climbing over the guardrail and sitting on the edge of the road to dangle my feet where a bridge once was, watching the tide come in from the Bay of Fundy. We would measure the tide by watching it rise up the old bridge footing.

If the word 'levee' doesn’t immediately invoke images of New Year's Day celebrations, do not fret! You are not alone! For many of us the morning after New Year's Eve is a time to rest and regroup, but some Canadians get out of bed with what pep they can muster and strike out into their community. New Year's Levees are a time-honoured tradition in Nova Scotia, an opportunity to exchange good will with local officials and community members, while enjoying the hosts' refreshments.

Today’s blog post follows Darlene Brine as she pieces together a puzzle for the Archives, and winds up in the branches of her own family tree. This entry was written some time ago for another project, but the recent news of an interpretive site at the Acadian Village of Beaubassin brought it to mind.

Christmas kittens, seashells, ice skating frogs? The holiday cards of the past are a little bit different from what you might find in stores today. From our scrapbooks and photograph collections, we’ve hand selected twenty-four different images to help you spread some holiday cheer.

The Uniacke Estate is one of those grand old homes you wish could talk. Built as a country home for the Uniacke family in the early 1800s, the house was fully outfitted with all the comforts an affluent family could ask for – including a comfortable and modern kitchen. These walls would have some stories.

Archives are full of stories. Stories of ancestors and communities, of war and industry, of progress and art. The sweeping sagas of immigrants and newly-carved townships. The small moments captured in snapshots. Some stories come easily, through iconic MacAskill photographs, a rich trove of vital statistics, or a family journal. Some stories you need to work for.